Formally known as Rhodesia, with its capital at Salisbury, home to half of Victoria falls,
home to the oldest currently serving head of state, and a place where mermaids are evil.
It's the music of Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country in Southeastern Africa, bordered by Zambia, Batswana, and
Mozambique.
The area was once known as Southern Rhodesia, a self-governing British colony named after
Cecil Rhodes, who, by the way is also the name behind the famous Rhodes scholarship.
It became an independent nation in 1965, but struggled through nearly 15 years of internal
warfare, until 1980, when a peace treaty was signed and sovereignty fully established
The main ethnic groups in Zimbabwe are the Shona who make up 70% of the population, and
the Ndebele at 20%.
The other 10% are made up of other Bantu ethnic groups and the White Zimbabweans of mostly
English ancestry.
Time for the anthem!
Zimbabwe's national anthem was adopted in 1995 after a nation-wide search for a new
anthem.
For years, the national anthem was God Bless Africa, a hymn composed in 1897 by a South
African clergyman.
It became an anti-apartheid song for much of Southern African and was adopted as the
national anthem of Zambia, Tanzania, Namibia, and Zimbabwe.
But in 1994, the government decided to change things up and look for an anthem that was
distinctly Zimbabwean.
They held a nationwide contest that was won by Zimbabwean novelist and poet Professor
Solomon Mutswairo, the music composed by Fred Changundega.
The lyrics are most often sung in Shona, the language of the majority Shona people, but
are also officially recognized in Ndebele and English.
The title translates directly as lift high Zimbabwe's banner, but is usually translated
in English as blessed be the land of Zimbabwe.
The music is in G major, and composed in a very typical 32-bar or AABA form, just cut
half, each section being only 4 bars long.
Let's check out the folk music!
Now any discussion on folk music in Zimbabwe has to begin with music and dance.
The Jerusarema or Mbende dance is the best-known dance of the Shona people.
The music is noted for its polyrhythmic drumming and hand clapping, based on a basic 6/ 8 in
the drums with a 5/4 in the clapping and leg rattles.
In its most traditional versions, it included no other instruments or singing, just a drum,
clappers, and dancing.
Now, the story behind the dance is actually the best part.
As you can see, it involves a lot of sensuality, moving of the hips and hands, men will often
crouch and then jerk both arms and kick out their leg, imitating a burrowing mole, which
is a symbol of fertility for the Shona.
Now when Christian missionaries first saw this, they labeled it a fertility dance and
strongly discouraged it.
But the real story is even more interesting!
It developed as a battle tactic.
The able-bodied men would stand back, out of enemy sight.
The older men of the tribe would then line up and start clapping with large rectangular
clappers, which would tell the women that it's time to come out and start dancing.
The sensual movements were used to distract the enemy while the warrior got into position.
Today the overtones of war are all but gone, but it's an interesting history all the
same.
Another important dance is Muchongoyo of the Ndebele people.
It was traditionally performed when the men were going to war, or when they came back
victorious.
The men will dance in the front, often with sticks and shields, while the women stand
in the back and sing, behind a line of percussionists.
The music is in duple meter, and corresponds to the dancers' movements.
The dancing style is intended to impress, showcasing athleticism and synchronization.
In addition to the drums and rattles that accompanying the many different dance forms,
mbira plays a central role in many Zimbabwean ceremonies and musical traditions.
Mbira, often called thumb piano, has been a part of Shona musical tradition for over
1000 years.
It comes in many different varieties, with anywhere from 11 -28 keys.
Some traditions place the mbira inside a gourd for more resonance, and bottle caps or shells
will often be attached to create a buzzing sound.
In songs like Kariga Mombe, mbira is a solo instrument accompanying the player singing.
Kariga Mombe means 'take the bull by the horns' and is often a song used to teach
beginners, because it stays within a small range on the instrument and has a steady beat.
But, the beat, which can be felt in either six counts of two pulses or four counts of
three pulses, can be very difficult for untrained players.
One version of the mbira, called the ancestors' mbira, is larger and used in a special ceremony
called bira.
The ceremony is used by the Shona people to contact their ancestors, to ask advice and
resolve conflicts, as well as request rain, or oversee special life-cycle ceremonies.
It always includes 2 or more mbria and the traditional shaker instruments called hosho,
and singing, dancing, and hand-clapping are also important elements.
It's believed that mix of singing, dancing, drumming, and instruments creates a bridge
to the spirt world, and during the ceremony some more spiritually attuned members will
become possessed and act as the voice of the spirits called.
One last Zimbabwean folk instrument with an interesting history: marimba.
Now marimba is a very traditional and very ancient instrument all over Africa, and it's
considered a folk instrument in Zimbabwe.
But, it's history Zimbabwean music only goes back to the 1960's.
The Rhodesian Academy of Music was looking for a new instrument they could add to their
program that wouldn't show favoritism to any one group in the country.
The chose marimba because of its use and popularity in other parts of Africa.
And the music for marimba is a natural extension of the music and techniques for mbira.
Next!
Art music is defined a musical tradition composed with advanced structural and theoretical considerations.
Which means, the composer considers musical convention and music theory when composing,
even if they completely throw away those conventions in the end.
Now by that definition, Zimbabwe doesn't really have a native art music tradition.
Music in Zimbabwe is composed much more organically, and almost always has a purpose: music and
dance, music to communicate with ancestors, and so on.
But, don't fall into the trap of thinking that art music is in any way superior to other
types, it's a definition we have to categorize music.
There are many kinds of folk music, like what you just heard, that can be just as complex
and thought-provoking as any art music, it's just the way that it's composed and consumed
that matters here.
Western art music arrived in Zimbabwe along with European settlers, and can still be heard
in the country today.
Harare is home to many classical music concerts and festivals including the Harare International
Festival of the Arts, and the country has given birth to several successful classical
musicians including pianist Jeanette Micklem and violinist Andrew Sherwood, who both have
an active international performing schedule.
Pop music in Zimbabwe has seen a huge surge since independence in the 1980's.
In fact native forms of pop music are especially important, since, in 2002 the government imposed
a 100% local content quota for all radio stations.
There are a ton of styles to choose from, but let's focus on three.
Chimurenga means struggle in the shona language, and that is what this music represents.
At the height of its popularity during the 1970's and 80's war for independence,
these were the protest songs of the era for the people involved.
Thomas Mapfumo is the undisputed king of Chimurenga, and his music defined a generation, and had
a huge impact on the musical landscape of Zimbabwe.
The lyrics deal with social injustice and political commentary, and as recently as 2002
many popular artists, including Mapfumo have had their music banned from radio.
The music itself is a mix of native traditions, like mbira, syncopation, and polyrhythm, with
foreign traditions like hip-hop, jazz, and rock.
Tuku isn't really a genre, but a person.
But his music is so popular and so distinctive, that it's often referred to as a genre in
its own right.
Oliver Mtukudzi and his band the Black Spirits have created over 60 albums since the late
1970s.
Like Mopfumo, his music has skirted political issues and social injustice, but tends to
be less direct.
Musically, his style is mellower, with a darker tone, more rock influenced idioms.
And finally, Zimdancehall.
Like it's Jamaican cousin, Zimdancehall uses background beats that are heavily synthesized
and created fairly simply.
The music focuses on lyrical prowess and rhyming skills of the singer, signing in their local
language.
In recent years, Zimdancehall has become so popular that other types of pop music, like
sungura, have been pushed out into the rural areas.
So what else is there to know about the music of Zimbabwe?
Tell me about it down in the comments.
And if you enjoy this series, let me know by liking this video and subscribing to the
Ethnomusicologist.
Next week, Albania!
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